Liddell wants to see Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones stop playing it safe

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Liddell wants to see Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones stop playing it safe

I think some people make complaints about some of the champions playing it safe. I understand it, but I don't want to watch it. I think [Georges] St-Pierre is a great fighter. He's awesome. Jon Jones is a great fighter. I just don't like watching him {St-Pierre} play safe. And he fights safe. I mean against {Nick} Diaz he spiral rode him for half the fight. I don't like watching that.

Now, for him to able to do that to guys that are at that level is impressive. But it's not exciting to me. And the way they chose the fight. I mean 'I've been beating this guy up for four rounds, I'm still just gonna win the last round. I'm not gonna try to finish him. I'm not gonna go after him. I'm not gonna take any risks.' From a coaching standpoint and a manager's standpoint, I understand. It makes sense. It's big money now. But from a fan's standpoint, I don't want to watch it, [not] unless I think he's fighting someone that can make him fight. I actually think this next fight coming up, I'm excited, he's fighting Johny Hendricks and I think Hendricks is going to make him fight.

Back to Jones, Liddell points to the light heavyweight champion's recent title defense to Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165 to make his point.

"That's exactly what happened. He had a guy that made him fight. He normally goes out and... To be able to do that to the guys he does it to and make it look easy? He makes it look easy against really good guys. That was a guy making him fight. {Jones} did really well and I thought he won the fight. Actually, I had it a draw but that's my opinion."

Liddell was then asked his take on some past comments made by Mayweather, who said in 2009:

"Man, who in the UFC as good as Floyd Mayweather? Look back to 2-3 years ago, when this all started. One of the stars in the sport, Chuck Liddell, has gone 3-4. The man has been Knocked out so many time his boss made him retire. How many times you seen Floyd Mayweather knocked out? How many times you seen Floyd Mayweather even knocked down? None."

OK, I've never seen that. I don't pay attention to that stuff. I think he's just mad because, I think in '07, he said he'd beat me in an MMA fight. I said 'come on man. I've got a 135lber (Antonio Banuelos) living at my house that he wouldn't make it out of the first round with if he fought MMA. I stand by it. In MMA, he won't make it out of the first round. I think at the time it was a testament to how big the UFC got because he was using my name to get in the press about a fight he had coming up. He was using UFC to get other fans thinking about his fight. Otherwise, why would he be talking about me?

Since then, Mayweather has gone on to become the highest paid athlete in sports. Reportedly banking a guaranteed fight purse of $41.5 million payday earlier this month for his record-breaking PPV with Canelo Alvarez. No hard feelings from Liddell.

Deservedly so. People want to say this or that. He puts people in the seats. He gets people to buy the Pay-Per-View. When it comes down to it that's what it's about. You wanna get paid? You gotta put people in the seats. He deserves it. That being said, on the 'playing it safe' thing, I don't like watching him fight because he likes to outpoint guys. Don't get me wrong, he is very talented to outpoint the guys he outpoints.

Both GSP and Jones will never suffer the long term brain issues Chuck is gunna deal with.. Why Chuck??

They both make more money have just as impressive or better streaks...have lots of fans and uhhhh yeah they will retire healthy.. WTF is wrong with that?

I really believe that people like Bill Murray or John Belushi are just as great and just as valid as Robert De Niro or Al Pacino. And I don't think you can say One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) is a better movie than Animal House (1978); they're different genres. I think they're both examples of great craftsmanship.

He didn't say there was anything wrong with how they fight, just expressed he doesn't enjoy watching it as much. The man in entitled to his opinion. I definitely enjoyed watching pre mat Serra knockout GSP. Much exciting. I respect technical jab jab take down GSP... But I don't enjoy him as much. It's not as exciting, partially because he's so damn good at it he makes his competition look weak.

Moreover, true technical dominance is rarely truly exciting. Excitement in fighting implies a certain amount of mistakes being made on both sides that make for a back and forth battle. Someone as masterful as GSP simply won't leave those openings. I'd liken it to Lennox Lewis, Klitschko, Pernell Whitaker, etc in boxing.

Do I wish they would go for it from time to time? Yes but you have to admit that more often than not GSP's opponents are fighting more "not to lose" than trying to going for it as well.

You say shark I say hey man, Jaws was never my scene and I don't like Star Wars